AIBU to be terrified of being outed?

[skillsandtea]

I know everyone likes to keep their anonymity and a lot NC, but I was just in the middle of starting a different AIBU about a situation I'm in at the mo and looking for some balanced views/arguments. But I then deleted it all in case someone in RL recognised me and read my actual opinion on this situation (as it may not be a popular one!) So even if I NC afterwards I wouldn't be anonymous. Does that makes sense? So what do you all do if you want to discuss something but don't want RL to know what you really think and need to play politics? Chances are not many would read the post but what if they do? Am I being paranoid?

There is the thirty days section.

Change some of the characters in events?...that is about it really. Maybe you could just search on the topic area and get views on the subject through reading old threads instead.

No. It's a public forum with millions of hits. It's sensible to assume you are not anonymous and that someone might recognise your story.

Perhaps change a few details or find an analogy or something that would make you feel like it would create enough doubt in the mind of anyone reading so they may not link it with you?

I dont put anything on here that would wreck my lif e or cause if found out. Thats the key i think.

If you want to stay completely anonymous, don't put things on the internet.

I can't tell the number of things I'd like to post on here that I never will. And I don't care two figs for being anonymous. I just don't want some things known.

I don't even trust threads that supposedly delete in 30 days.

Bloody stupid phone. I dont care what anyone says. They are a pig to use.
Wreck life or cause significant hassle.
Is there nobody in rl who is neutral and balanced and knows how to keep their gob shut?

Don't post then, seriously. There's no way I'd put anything major on here, might be all over twitter and Matthew Wright the next day, look at that crap thread about the beaker !

It worries me too from time to time, and has certainly stopped me from posting about scenarios where I could probably do with some advice.

But you have to keep some perspective - this is a massive site, with thousands of threads started every day. And it's just one massive site out of many on the internet. So the likelihood of the person you're posting about just happening to stumble across your thread is pretty remote - unless of course you know they're a committed MNer.

I usually make the post under an NC, think about and change the details until its nothing like what I was writing about to begin with and then read it over and over again and get paranoid and then delete it and never post it again :)

Seriously, I think if you feel uncomfortable with it don't post it. Worrying about the possible fall out will negate any good that you gain by posting. I'd search the archive here for similar situations or try googling it, its amazing what's already out their.

YANBU to value your privacy. I only ever post things that I'd be happy for anyone (including people I know) to read, which is why I don't post interesting threads - anything 'interesting' doesn't make it to the forum.

YABU to draw attention to yourself if you prize your anonymity though.

That's true. All posts I do start are so safe (dull) that I usually end up killing a thread before it's even started! There are so many threads I read though that I think if that was me I would have never that.

Don't post it on the internet.

That's what I would do.

• never posted that

Put your post in off the beaten track? Not indexed by google and deleted after 30 days? Also not on Active, so don't know how many replies you'd get, I don't lurk about there.

I post but post vaguely.
And then if I think I have let too much out, name change the very next day.
That way, I have sorted out what I want to say, and lost myself in the crowd after that.

I think that is one of the drawbacks to this site having got so big. Someone could see what is posted. So I have checked a couple of people out to make sure that they are not on here.

Tee. But that is caring about anonymity isnt it? [confused}